1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to heat exchangers of the fin-and-tube type with an improved louver configuration.
2. Description of Related Art
Fin-and-tube type heat exchangers are well known in the art. These heat exchangers having a number of fins with heat transfer tubes passing therethrough. The fins typically incorporate a number of louvers to redirect and mix the air flow across the fins to increase the heat transfer between the surfaces of the heat exchanger, which include the surfaces of the fins and the outside surfaces of the tubes, and the air flow. One issue that arises when disrupting the air flow is a pressure drop across the fins. A significant increase in the pressure drop across the fins is the penalty paid for the increased heat transfer.
Accordingly, there has been much development in louver designs to balance the heat transfer and air pressure drops in an attempt to obtain the optimum heat exchanger design. Some examples of prior art attempts are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,434,844; 4,550,776; 5,099,914; 5,509,469; and 5,730,214. Many of these prior art designs have louvers facing in opposite directions from an incoming flow of air across the heat exchanger. Still others have louvers facing in numerous different lateral, longitudinal, and angular directions to the incoming flow of air. Although these designs may provide some advantages, the louver configurations are complex and expensive to manufacture and do not optimize the heat transfer between the surfaces of the heat exchanger and the air flow.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to optimize the heat transfer between the surfaces of the heat exchanger and the air flow with a simplified less expensive louver design.